Process of desulfurizing and agglomerating pyrites-cinder and the like.



PATENTED MAR. 19, 1907,

7 R. P. HILL. PROCESS OF DESULFURIZING AND AGGLOMERATING PYRITES GINDER AND THE LIKE. APPLIOATION FILED JUL- 26, 1906.

WITNESSES INVENTOH ff h'fid BT/A I Original application iiled December 20,

UNITED STATES BAT-TEXT OFFICE.

ROWLAND F. HILL, or NEW YORK, .N. Y., 'ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL CHEMICAL COMPANY, or NEW YORK, N.-

Y.,' A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PROCESS OF DESULF URIZING AND AGGLOMERATINGPYRITES-CINDER AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent. 1905, Serial No. 292,557. Divided and this application filed June 26, 1906. Serial No. 323.437.

Patented March 19, 1907.

1'0 all, whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROWLAND F.- HiLL, a citizen of. the United States, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and

Stateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes for 'Desulfurizingand A glomerating Pyrites- Cinder and the Like, 0 is aspecification. Pyrites-cinder and other pulverulent metalbearing materials on account of their dustlike nature have been incapable of being treated in the same 'manner as ordinary crushed or lumpy ore. To recover the .metal fromsuch pulverulent materials, it has beenproposed to subject them to a desulfurizing and agglomerating treatment, whereby they.

are formed into coherent lumps, masses, or nodules, whichmay then be treated in a blast-furnace or otherwise. This desulfurization and agglomeratingtreatment has been carried out in an inclined rotary-kiln,.and in the practical Working of the .processserious difficulties have been encountered on account of the fused mass lining of the bining chemically with the kiln-lining.

The objectof my invention. is to avoid the sticking of the material to the kiln-linin either mechanically or chemically and to do tendency of the pasty or semito adhere mechanically to the thiswithout either injuring'?'the kiln-lining or than the lower kiln.

interrupting the operation of the process.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown in Figure 1 a longitudinal section of an apparatus suitable for the purposes of my invention, and in Fig. 2 a cross-section thereof on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

There are two rotary kilns or drums A and A,.respectively, both inclined and. one arranged at a higher level than the other. The kilns may be arranged stepwise,=as shown, andin the same vertical plane. Bothkilns may have the same inclination, or thelower kiln may. beinclined more steeply, and the lower end of the lower kiln may be adjusted vertically, so as to'vary the inclination. Any

suitable mechanism may be employed forro: tating the kilns, the means for rotating the lower kiln bein preferably independent, so that the speed oione kiln may be varied without aifecting that of the other. The upper kiln' will, as a rule,

which the following kiln or to adhere thereto'by come The connection between the two kilhs is shown a connecting-pipe B pivoted at B and adapted to have its ends abut against the adjacent ends of the two kiTr'is. may be provided with a valve either simply controlling the connect on shown. The upper kiln A has nary fire-brickor any rial; but the lining I) should be basic, non-acid. Such lining may be made,for instance, of chrome, magnesite, bauxite, carborundum, or steel brick.

In operation the a lining '1), of ordiother suitable mateof the upper kiln A, while the fuel (as a coal.- dust flame) enters at the lower end of the lower kiln A. The hot gases pass through and also on the speed with which it is rotated.

lower kiln, there is no danger of a chemical combination occurring between the ore and the kiln-lining. I thus prevent erosion 'or destruction of the lining and also the sticking of reactions. Still it is possible that in some cases the fused materialmi'ght adhere to the lining of the lower kiln mechanically. If this should happen, the remedy would be the application of,an increased heat in the lower In, so as to 'melt the adhering mass away from the kiln-lining. Ofcourse this increase of heat in the lower kiln should not be accomanied-by any increase 'In sufficient The considerably longer 2 I terial therein.

This pipe, or damper,"

of the lower kiln A or .at least neutralthat is,

the two kilnsand the connecting-pine B. the

kiln the coherent pend on theinclination of the lower kiln A Since I use a basic or neutral lining in the of heat in the upper, to fuse, or partly fuse, any maeffected in any suitable manner. Ifhave from one kiln to the'other, or, preferably, the valve or damper O controls an air-inlet B as pyrites-cinder or other pulverulent material is fed at the upper end the temperature is stufiicient to the fused mass to the kiln owingto chemical o lining is non-acid, as above set forth. Should The length of the connecting-pipe B will If it should be necessary to increase the temperature beyond this point to melt an obstruction formed by the adhesion of fused material to the lining of the lower kiln, special means will have to be employed to prevent the increase of heat from causing the the desi red point.

will'be opened partly or entirely Whenever fusion-point to be reached in-the upper kiln.

Thus in the example shown the valve or damper O will'be opened more or less causinga greateror smaller amount of air to be admitted .atB? and to be mixed with the hot gases, so as to reduce their temperature to This valve or damper the temperature is too high at the upperend of the connectingp1pe B.

The rotation of the u per kiln agitates and "turns over'the materia so as to thoroughly desulfun'ze it by the action of the heated gases. As the temperature will always be so regulated as to prevent fusion of the 'mate rial in the upper kiln, a very thorough de- 'sulfurization will be obtained, and there will The no danger of obstructions forming in the upper kiln.. I

In the lower kiln agglomeration will take place under erfect control, as the inclination and speed 0 this kiln may be varied without affecting the. desulfurizing process going on in 'thefupperkiln; Obstructions cannot be formed by chemical interaction between the lower-kiln lining and the material, since the any obstructions be formed by mechanical adhesion, they can readily be removed without any injury to the lining by temporarily increasing the heat. This will not, however, necessitate any interruption of the process.

The connecting-pipe B can be swung away from the kiln ends, thus greatly facilitating the making of repairs. I prefer to provide a lining B in the connecting-pipe B or, at'least,

in the lower'portion thereof, such lining being non-'acid that is, basic or neutral.similarly to the lining D. In some cases if the suction at the opening B should not be sufficient to admit a proper amount of cool air I might employa blower or like device to force a proper amount of air through said opening.

The present application is a division of another application for patent filed by me on December 20, 1905, Serial No. 292,557, in which the apparatus herein disclosed is claimed.

I claim as my invention- 1. The process of desulfurizing and agglomerating pyrites-cinder and the like, which consists in first subjecting the material to rotary agitation and to a heat below the fusionoint to desulfurize the material, then subjecting the des'ulfurized material to a gradually-increasing heat, but still belowthe fusion-point, and finally subjecting the desulfurized material to rotary agitation, in a kiln having .a non-acid lining, and to a heat sufficient to fuse or partly fuse the material and cause it to form coherent masses or nodules.

2, The process of desulfurizing and agglomerating pyrites-cinder and the like, which consists in first subjecting the material to agitation in a desulfurizing atmosphere, below the fusion-point, then subjecting thedesulfurized material to a gradually-increasing heat, but still below the fusionoint,- and finally subjecting the desulfurize material to agitation in a kiln having a non-acid lining, and to a heat sufficient to fuse or partly fuse the material and cause it to form coherent masses or nodules.

3.- The process of desulfurizin g and agglomerating pyrites-cinder and the like, which consists in first subjecting the material to agitation in a desulfurizing atmosphere, below the fusion-point, and then subjecting the desiilfurized material to agitation in a kiln having a non-acid lining, and to a heat sufficient to fuse or partly fuse the material and cause it to form coherent masses or nodules.

, 4. The process of de'sulfurizing and aggl'omerating pyrites-cinder and. the like, which consists in first subjecting the material to rotary agitation in a desulfurizing'atmosphere, below the fusionoint, and then subjecting the desulfurize material to'rotary agitation ina kiln having a non-acid lining, and to a heat sufficient to fuse or partly fuse the material and cause it to form coherent masses or nodules.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in' the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROWLAND F. HILL.

Witnesses:

JOHN Lorna,

JOHN A. KEHLENBECK. 

